Equestrian
- Title:
- Director of Equestrian
- Email:
- h.schoolfield@tcu.edu
- Phone:
- (817) 257-6615
Haley Schoolfield, a five-time Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year, enters her 13th season as the program's Director of Equestrian in 2025-26.
Schoolfield was tabbed to lead the program ahead of its eighth season of existence on June 19, 2013 and has since elevated TCU Equestrian to a permanent place of national prominence.
Under Schoolfield's leadership, TCU has become an annual contender for the NCEA National Championship crown. The Horned Frogs have advanced to eight NCEA National Championship semifinals during Schoolfield's tenure, including national runner-up finishes in 2015-16 and 2023-24. TCU has advanced to the semifinals in three of the last four seasons.
TCU is amidst its winningest era ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. Schoolfield guided the Horned Frogs to four straight winning seasons for the first time in TCU's Big 12 era from 2021-2025. TCU generated a 25-11 combined overall record over the last two seasons, including a 14-3 mark in 2024. The 2023-24 campaign was particularly noteworthy, as the Horned Frogs set a school record for end-of-season winning percentage (.824) while their 14 victories were the program's most in a dozen years of Big 12 membership. In addition, TCU was national runner-up in 2024 for the second time in program history.
Over the last 13 seasons, Schoolfield has coached 65 student athletes to NCEA All-American status, including an NCEA-leading 12 in 2022-2023. She has mentored an identical 51 riders to All-Big 12 recognition. TCU has produced 21 Big 12 Riders of the Year under Schoolfield and has led the conference with 13 Big 12 Rider of the Year citations over the last five seasons.
The Horned Frogs have been every bit as impressive in the classroom under Schoolfield. TCU has amassed a robust 246 NCEA All-Academic citations and received 97 Academic All-Big 12 honors since 2013.
The sterling transformation of TCU Equestrian into a standard-bearing program has earned Schoolfield numerous praise from her peers. Schoolfield was tabbed NCEA Coach of the Year - the highest national honor a coach can receive - in 2016 after leading the Horned Frogs to the NCEA National Championship finals. She received her first Big 12 Coach of the Year credential in 2014 and has swept the award for the past four seasons.
In 2024-25, the Horned Frogs went 10-6 and were the No. 4 overall seed at the NCEA Championships. Thanks to her success during the season, Shea Graham was tabbed as the NCEA & Big 12 Reining Rider of the Year after going 14-2 on the year, while Ashleigh Scully earned Big 12 Rider of the Year in Fences. In addition, Graham (First Team Reining), Scully (Second Team Fences), Lannie-Jo Lisac (Honorable Mention Reining), Ella Bostwick (Honorable Mention Flat) and Laurel Smith (Honorable Mention Flat) all earned Ariat All-America honors. Bostwick, Smith, Graham and Scully all picked up All-Big 12 Rider honors, while Jessica McCallister (Horsemanship, Reining) and Lilly Goldstein (Fences) also earned the nod. Schoolfield also earned Big 12 Coach of the Year honors for the fourth year in a row.
The 2023-24 season saw the Horned Frogs advance to the National Championship meet for just the second time in the programs history. For the first time in program history, TCU swept the Big 12 Rider of the Year honors with Shea Graham (Reining), Lilly Goldstein (Flat), Ashleigh Scully (Fences) and Mattie Dukes (Horsemanship) earning the honor. The Frogs also earned a multitude of All-American recognition in Shea Graham (First Team Horsemanship), Jessica McCallister (First Team Horsemanship), Ella Bostwick (Second Team Fences, Honorable Mention Flat), Ashleigh Scully (First Team Fences), Lilly Goldstein (First Team Flat), Mattie Dukes (First Team Horsemanship), Giorgia Meadows (Second Team Horsemanship), Kaylene Cunningham (Second Team Reining) and Payton Boutelle (Honorable Mention, Horsemanship). Schoolfield also earned her third consecutive Big 12 Coach of the Year honor.
Schoolfield steered TCU to one of its most successful seasons in its 17 years of existence in 2022-23. TCU produced the most NCEA All-American citations (12) and first team All-American accolades (seven) of any program nationwide. The Horned Frogs maintained a top-three NCEA ranking for the entirety of the regular season for the first time ever. Seven of the Horned Frogs' 13 victories came at the expense of ranked opponents. TCU also attained its first undefeated home record (6-0) in program history.
Individually, Schoolfield coached Isabella Baxter (Fences), Mattie Dukes (Reining) and Jessica McAllister (Horsemanship) to Big 12 Rider of the Year recognition. Dukes and McAllister were also honored as NCEA Riders of the Year in their respective events as was Ashleigh Scully in Flat. The three NCEA Rider of the Year selections were the most of any program. TCU also became the first program in NCEA history to sweep the Western discipline. Dukes and Scully were the first Horned Frogs to be named NCEA Rider of the Year in Reining and Flat, respectively.
The 2021-22 season proved to be one of Schoolfield's best coaching jobs. The Horned Frogs went 12-7 overall and 3-3 in Big 12 meets. TCU opened the spring season with a win over No. 7-ranked Delaware State and then proceeded to rattle off a school record eight straight wins. The win streak was snapped in the Big 12 Championship Finals, as the Frogs fell to eventual National Champions, Oklahoma State.
TCU earned the No. 4 seed in the NCEA National Championships, where they downed No. 5-ranked Georgia, but fell to the No. 1-ranked Cowgirls in the semifinals. The magical season was solidified with six NCEA All-American nods, a pair of Big 12 Conference Riders of the Year, and five All-Big 12 Team selections. Schoolfield was also honored, earning her second career Big 12 Coach of the Year honor.
The 2020-21 season saw the Horned Frogs go 6-6 overall and 2-3 in Big 12 meets. TCU earned the No. 3 seed in the Big 12 Championship, where they picked up a win over Fresno State, but fell to Oklahoma State in heartbreaking fashion, as the Cowgirls had to come back to down the Frogs, 11-9. Mattie Dukes (Reining) and Jessica McAllister (Horsemanship) were both named Big 12 Riders of the Year and TCU totaled five riders on the All-Big 12 Team. Schoolfield was instrumental in TCU setting a new program record with seven All-American honorees, which surpassed the previous high of six selections (2013, 2015).
In her seventh season at the helm, Schoolfield led the Horned Frogs to a 6-7 record, in a season that had the Big 12 and NCEA Championship canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Schoolfield and the program stood out in a major way, with senior Laska Anderson becoming a Rhodes Scholar Finalist, followed by a Dr. Prentice Gautt Big 12 Postgraduate Scholarship for her doctoral studies. Raegan Rast earned Big 12 Fences Rider of the Year honors after her 11-3 season. TCU had two All-Americans in the shortened season, as well as two All-Big 12 riders. 18 Frogs found their way on to the NCEA All-Academic teams, 14 on the All-Big 12. An impressive 10 Rookies were honored in the Academic All-Big 12 rookie ranks. TCU earned six Rider of the Month awards. The Frogs coaching staff excelled within the equine athletes too, with four Horned Frog horses being named to the NCEA Top 10 Horses list.
Schoolfield recorded a record of 5-9 with the TCU Equestrian program in 2018-19. The team's signature win came against No. 3 SMU on Mar. 9, after a 5-0 sweep in Reining propelled the Frogs to victory on Senior Day and also netting the team in its seventh consecutive NCEA Championship appearance. The Frogs tied a program record with 19 NCEA Academic honorees and set a record with 18 Academic All-Big 12 honorees. The success in the classroom did not stop there as junior Laska Anderson was awarded the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement award from the Big 12. The success was not limited to academics, however. The Frogs posted five All-Americans, two of which garnered First Team recognition. TCU also had six All-Big 12 honorees, with three seperate events having two recognized (Fences, H'ship, Reining). The team had six Rider of the Month awards and had three NCEA top 10 horses. Schoolfield finished her tenure as President of the NCEA in May of 2019.
In the 2017-18 season, Schoolfield pioneered the 9-9 Horned Frogs to the NCEA Semifinals, upsetting Big 12 rival and No. 3 Oklahoma State in the first round 10-6 behind a 6-2 charge in the Hunt Seat. The Frogs wrapped up the season with an overall record of 9-9. Schoolfield took the helm as the NCEA President in May and concluded her first of two years in the position in 2018. Schoolfield coached her riders to many accolades during the year, Laska Anderson earned NCEA Horsemanship Rider of the Year, Elite Equestrian and First Team All-America honors. The Frogs had four All-American selections overall, two of which were First Teamers. Seven All-Big 12 riders rode out for TCU during the year, four on the Hunt Seat side and three in Western. 19 Frogs received NCEA Academic All-American honors, as well as 11 named Academic All-Big 12. The awards continued for the program's work outside the classroom as Julia Finn earned TCU's Hal Halbruck Community Service Award. The Frogs earned nine Big 12 and five NCEA Rider of the Month Honors. Alongside her highly talented roster of star Student-Athletes, Schoolfield and her staff earned one NCEA Top 10 horse, as well as an NCEA Horse of the Month.
During the 2016-17 season, Schoolfield led the Frogs to the NCEA National Championships for the fourth time. Two Hunt Seat riders earned Rider of the Month accolades from the NCEA, and six student-athletes were named Academic All-Americans while five more were named to the Honor Roll. Kari Hancock, a First Team NCEA Academic All-American, also earned the title of Elite Equestrian and was awarded the prestigious Postgraduate Scholarship from the NCAA. On the conference side, Schoolfield helped two equestrians earn the title Rider of the Year from the Big 12 as well as five more as Rider of the Month. Two equestrians were named MOPs of the Big 12 Championship, six were named Academic All-Big 12, and three were named All-Big 12 in their respective disciplines. Kari Hancock was also awarded the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award from the Big 12 and was a Big 12 Champion for Life. On top of the success of her student-athletes, the Frogs also had a horse ranked as a Top Horse by the NCEA following the conclusion of the season.
In 2015-16, Schoolfield was named the National Collegiate Equestrian Association National Coach of the Year. She guided the Horned Frogs to the program's first National Championship Runner-Up performance at the 2016 NCEA National Championships in Waco. The Horned Frogs made NCEA history by becoming the lowest seed ever to advance to the finals under the current format. In the end, the Frogs became the first Big 12 Conference team to compete in the finals against an SEC foe. Individually, Schoolfield helped six student-athletes earn All-Championship accolades, while Megan McMullen was named Most Outstanding Player in Horsemanship at nationals. TCU had four student-athletes earn NCEA All-America accolades this season, including junior Molly Peddicord who claimed All-America honors in two disciplines. The program also had two Big 12 Conference Riders of the Year and four all-conference selections in 2015-16.
Outside the show ring, Schoolfield had seven student-athletes honored as part of the prestigious 2016 Beval Saddlery Academic Team, including two first-team honorees. The Purple and White also had 12 student-athletes named to the 2016 Academic All-Big 12 Equestrian Team, while the Frogs had two horses wrap-up the season ranked in the top-10 horses nationally.
The 2014-15 campaign saw the program rise to new heights as TCU climbed to high as No. 2 in the national rankings, the highest ranking in school history. During the course of the season, the Frogs under Schoolfield's watch earned six All-America honors, which tied for the most All-America awards in a single season in school history. TCU also had six student-athletes earn all-conference accolades throughout the season while garnering the Big 12 Reining Rider of the Year and the Big 12 Most Outstanding Performer honoree at the 2015 Big 12 Championship. Not to be outdone, the Frogs also once again excelled in the classroom, placing five first-team honorees on the prestigious Beval Saddlery Academic Team and once again capturing Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors for a third-straight season.
In her first year at the helm, Schoolfield made school history becoming the first TCU head coach to be named Big 12 Coach of the Year. Schoolfield led the Horned Frogs to a 3-3 conference mark during the 2013-14 season, garnering victories over Baylor, Kansas State and Oklahoma State.
By being honored as the 2014 Big 12 Coach of the Year, Schoolfield became the first TCU head coach to receive Coach of the Year accolades in the Big 12 Conference. Not only did her student-athletes shine in the show ring this past season with both Alexi Child and Shelby St. Hilaire earning NCEA All-America accolades, but also in the classroom as seven student-athletes were awarded Academic All-America recognition by the NCEA, including Child who was also named Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Schoolfield, previously head equestrian coach at SMU for four years (2009-13), oversees the Horned Frogs' Hunt Seat and Western disciplines as Director.
Prior to taking over the SMU program, Schoolfield was an assistant coach for two years (2007-09) at TCU. She was in charge of the Hunt Seat division.
In Schoolfield's first year at TCU, which marked just the second year of the equestrian program, the Horned Frogs won the 2008 Western National Championship. TCU's Western squad was also the 2009 National Runner-Up.
A native of Willis, Texas, Schoolfield is a 2002 Texas A&M graduate with a bachelor's degree in agricultural development with an animal science emphasis. A four-year letter-winner for the Aggies, Schoolfield competed on the English side. She was a team captain her senior year and won the Open Flat at the 2001 California Spring Classic. Schoolfield officially became a Horned Frog after earning her master’s degree in education in December 2017.
Schoolfield has earned her USEF 'R' judges card in 2019. Schoolfield is a USHJA Certified Trainer as well, earning her certification in 2012.
Schoolfield and her husband, Clay, were married in December 2008.
